Rosticeria el Novillo in Bossier City: It’s All About the Chicken

When I learned that the same family who own and operate the fantastic Mariscos La Jaibita had opened a new restaurant, this one specializing in roasted chicken in the same way that Mariscos La Jaibita specializes in seafood, I had to try it. Rosticeria el Novillo (2100 Benton Road, Bossier City) is so new that it’s presently un-Google-able, and the humble storefront definitely looks as if they’re still getting set up. But food is being served, and it’s fascinating, delicious food, at that.

I ordered the quarter-chicken rotisserie meal ($6.99), which came with delicious charro-style beans, yellow rice, salad, and corn tortillas, as well as two sides of sauce. The simpler of the two sauces, a concoction of lime juice, garlic, jalapenos, and oil, was really the MVP of the meal, in my opinion. Without it, the meal wouldn’t have been as special. If you’re shredding the chicken to eat as tacos, you’ll want to drizzle this delicious sauce on top.

One word of warning: On my recent visit (September 12), the ventilation system didn’t seem to be quite working, so the entire place smelled extremely strongly of delicious roasted chicken. This wasn’t an issue in the restaurant, in fact it was kind of pleasant. But back at the office an hour later, I could hear co-workers in the hallway mumbling to themselves “Smells like roasted chicken…”

I have to say, the meal was fun, different, and worth smelling of chicken all day long. And my dog was really, really happy to see me when I came home.